“It feels like we went back to the Stone Age; but actually, back then, people’s caves and shelters were probably much better than what we have right now,”says Dhan, looking at the leaky plastic tent his family occupied for close to three weeks.

Then things took a turn for the better for the Thakuri family last week. A group of volunteers, managed by migration lawyer Rajesh Raj Joshi and supported by Australian organisations AECA (Australian Education Councillors’ Alliance), KOI (King’s Own Institute) and InterGlobal (Visa and Migration services), arrived at the village to set up one of the first portable homes, which have been developed as a shelter solution. The Thakuri family would be one of the first families in the village to live in one of the portable homes.

“It looks like those holiday cabins that people have in the West. It is very light, easy to dismantle and assemble, and most importantly, it doesn’t let the rain come through,”says Joshi.

He came over from Australia with the idea of bringing aid and funds to support reconstruction projects in the worst-hit areas in Nepal. It was by coincidence that he came to know about the Kathmandu-based construction and steel company Katuwal Grill and its new shelter prototypes.

 “I was walking past the factory with a friend and had a random look inside, I saw some workers working on something that resembled a cabin. I went inside to ask, and that is how I met the owner, Mohan Katuwal, and got to know about the whole concept,”says Joshi.

The home that the group of volunteers set up for Dhan’s family is made of metal, Colorbond steel and plastic, and it has a concrete foundation. It can house a five-member family and it comes with a toilet, a cooker and a sink; each prototype costs Rs 50,000.

 “I am very happy that we don’t need to worry about our clothes and mattresses getting wet anymore and about the snakes sneaking around our tent at night,”says Dhan’s wife Sabina.

Joshi’s rationale for setting up of this first shelter sample is to test its functionality and use it as a display model for other villagers and families in the neighbouring hamlets.

“We want people to see what are the available options they can choose from when thinking about a fast and cheap shelter solution,” he says.

Based on the amount of money that will keep coming in from donations and partner organisations, the volunteer team plans to order around 25/30 mobile homes to supply a whole village community.

“Whether they wait for the government’s support, use their own funding or donated money, people need to figure out a way to get through the rainy season, which is fast approaching,” says Joshi.